My Architect: A Son's Journey

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My Architect: A Son's Journey ★★★½ 2003

Slow but moving documentary about the life of famed architect Louis Kahn, written and directed by his son, Nathaniel. The movie begins with Kahn's death in 1974, when Nathaniel discovers in the obituary that his father had children by two other women. From there, he tries to uncover the mystery of Kahn's secretive life while highlighting his public achievements. What results is a film as much about a son trying to find his place in his father's life as Kahn's life itself. A depressing, poignant film only occasionally marred by Nathaniel's focus on his personal relationship, he still creates a bittersweet but empathetic portrait of his complex father. 116m/C VHS, DVD. D: Nathaniel Kahn; W: Nathaniel Kahn; C: Robert Richman; M: Joseph Vitarelli; Nar: Nathaniel Kahn.